Tag: Weight

Losing weight through regular exercising is definitely strenuous yet effective. Add to it, a healthy low-cal diet and your chances of a slimmer waist go up considerably. Experts would also advise you to include those foods into your daily diet that aid weight loss. These foods either help boost your metabolism or help ease the process of digestion – either way, helping you on your weight loss journey. Green tea is one such popular ‘weight-loss aid’. However, what does green tea really help in? Does it help lose weight or is it just a myth? What is the best way to consume green tea? We decode the answers for you.

What is green tea?

Green tea, like black tea, are plucked from a shrub called Camellia Sinensis. Green tea leaves do not undergo oxidation and withering process that is used to make black tea, and are therefore, considered to be healthier than others. It is power-packed with antioxidants. Our body releases free radicals that may prove to be hazardous for health. Antioxidants are known to fight these free radicals and boost the immune system of the body. Green tea consists of antioxidants that include Vitamin E, Vitamin C or beta-carotene that protect the body. It also has an active ingredient called Catechins that help in boosting metabolism and further lose weight.

Green tea, like black tea, are plucked from a shrub called Camellia Sinensis

According to Nutritionist Lokendra Tomar from Weight Loss Clinic, “Green tea does help in weight loss. In many scientific studies it has been found that green tea increases fat burning and boost the metabolic rate as much as 17%. Stress is one of the major causative factors in obesity. Green tea also contains an active ingredient known as Theanine. Theanine is a type of amino acid, which helps in reducing stress by providing calming and relaxing effect on brain without sedation. This helps in losing weight easily.”

We enlist some reasons to have green tea for weight loss:

1. It is calorie free

According to expert Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Dutta, “Green tea is consumed with hot water and is sugarless. Hence, it is a calorie-free drink. Having 2-3 cups of this concoction won’t really affect your calorie intake for the day.

2. Helps you manage hunger pangs

According to Dr. Dutta, if you feel hungry, green tea is the best drink to manage hunger pangs at odd hours. It is just like drinking water, the more you drink the fuller you feel. One cup of green tea will stop you from binge eating unnecessarily.

3. It has numerous antioxidants

Green tea is trove of antioxidants that promote health. These antioxidants may help in boosting metabolism and keep the digestion process strong. The polyphenols present in the tea help detoxify the body too.

4. It has Catechins

Catechins are one of the antioxidants present in green tea which are believed to boost metabolism, further promoting weight loss.

Green tea is trove of antioxidants that promote health​

When should one ideally have green tea?

According to Nutritionist Mehar Rajput, “The ideal time to have green tea is right after your breakfast and lunch when your metabolism rate is higher. Intake of green tea during this period will only help boost metabolism rate, further helping the food to digest better and faster.”

Does green tea really help in losing weight?

Dr. Rupali Dutta says that green tea is a health drink full of antioxidants. You can consume it anytime you want to. It is, however, imperative to understand that only drinking green tea wouldn’t help lose weight, but some amount of exercise and a healthy diet along with cups of green tea should be taken into consideration.

When home-maker and mother Karishma Sharma (35) was trying to lose weight, she tried different kinds of diets. While some were low in calorie, others required her to consume only protein-rich food. While she lost a few pounds initially, over a period of time, Sharma’s body stopped reacting to all form of dieting.

Sharma is among a host of people who end up opting for unhealthy and extreme fad diets to lose weight. This phenomenon is referred to as yo-yo dieting or weight cycling where you lose and then regain at least 5 to 10 pounds of weight repeatedly.

As with other diets, celebrities are also guilty of promoting this kind of weight loss. Singers Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey, actor Chris Pratt, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey are among several celebs who have been in the spotlight for weight cycling.

Controlling food portion sizes and eating fruits and vegetables are a better way to lose weight. (Shutterstock)

In the past, there has been conflicting studies on the topic. While a study by Ohio University reported that it is better to attempt to lose weight despite repeated failures, experts also warned that such dieting fads cause grave damage to physical and mental health. Most experts caution that this type of dieting leads to health issues such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Dr Vinny Makhijani, senior dietitian, Masina Hospital says that yo-yo dieting can actually be more hazardous than being overweight. “Most weight cyclers eventually gain back more weight than they had lost because the shame and stress involved with gaining weight can lead to eating more. It also damages the heart; women who were weight cyclers had a great risk of heart disease beginning shortly after menopause,” says Makhijani.

Nutritionist Anjali Peswani elaborates on some more effects of this diet: “It can disturb the hormones and interfere with our absorption and digestion of food. It creates havoc in your hormones thus affecting your metabolism which is directly proportional to weight loss,” says Peswani.

And the effects are not just physical; it can impact your mental health as well. “Studies have reported that yo-yo dieting can increase the risk for mental distress and depression,” says Makhijani.

Both experts agree that yo-yo dieting has become increasingly common today as people seek a quick fix without making lifestyle changes. Instead of jumping from diet to diet and facing erratic weight loss, Peswani suggests a way out: “Don’t go overboard with anything, be it your workouts or your diet. Have control on the portion sizes and eat till you are 80% full. When eating out, stick to one dish only.”

Makhijani also advises a gradual way of losing weight: “Lose weight through a consistent loss of 1 kg per week. Consume non-starchy vegetables and fruits, moderate amounts of lean protein and dairy products, legumes and whole grains, and few or no refined carbohydrates and saturated fats.”

Dolly Singh, 34, has gained something of a fan following online for promoting body positivity by showing that size is no barrier to mastering complex yoga moves.

“To say ‘You can’t do this because you have so much weight,’ I don’t believe that,” Singh says, completing her morning stretch in a Mumbai park.

Four years ago a doctor advised her to lose weight following an ankle sprain. Singh, who is 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm), weighed almost 90 kilograms (198 pounds) at the time. She got a trainer and embraced the “whole frenzy of losing weight” but grew bored of running so she signed up for something she’d never done before — yoga.

“The first class I was thinking ‘Can I really do this because I have a big body?’ After two or three class I realised people were looking at me and thinking ‘Oh my god she can do this’. My body had a certain kind of stamina, of flexibility.”

Singh, who works for a TV channel in Mumbai, soon realised there were limitations to group classes and sought the instruction she needed from videos online.

“We all have different bodies and if my teacher doesn’t have a belly, how will they know what the problems are of having a big belly,” she explains, laughing. “I’m a big busted person and if the teacher isn’t how are they going to understand that when I’m doing a Halasana (plough pose) I’m almost choking to death!”

Singh started filming herself to monitor her progress and then began posting clips of her yoga poses on Instagram.

Online trolls

Soon she was inundated with messages, mainly from foreigners at first but then from Indian women saying that Singh was an inspiration to them. “I’ve been overwhelmed by some people saying they would feel alienated in a room full of perfect yoga bodies, how they would feel that everyone is watching them. There’s an idea of not showing your body if you’re big bodied. You’re supposed to hide everything because its not appealing or it’s not something people like to see but that’s just something that’s been sold to us,” she insists.

Singh says in response to her videos, she has received messages from women across the world who told her that she was an inspiration to them. (AFP)

The response hasn’t all been positive though. Singh says she has been the victim of body shaming online.

“Indian men have not been encouraging at all. There are a lot of people who write very nasty comments. They would say something like ‘You’re just a fat blob, you look just like an elephant or bear, or you’re unfit or it’s because you’re eating so much food.

“I completely ignore these things. You can’t fight internet trolls. I don’t know these people so why should it bother me?”

Singh, who currently weighs 73 kg, says she will continue trying to sell “a more positive body image” and “challenge notions of fitness and beauty”.

“I’m not aiming to have this thin figure but I am aiming to have a beautiful flow and make my body strong through yoga,” she beams.

DESPITE its name, sweet potato is not related to the potato family and is quite different nutritionally too. While the potato is a tuber or a thickened stem, the sweet potato is a storage root and loaded with nutrients, has made it to the list of top 10 diabetes super foods by the American Diabetes Association.

Though its origin lies in Latin America, Asia is its largest producer. Its importance is growing and it is the sixth most important food crop after rice, wheat, potatoes, maize and cassava. High in starch and fibre, the nature of carbohydrates differs from that in potatoes. Its high fibre content contributes to a lower glycemic index 44, which is almost half of potatoes (glycemic index 80). This property makes the sweet potato a useful carbohydrate source for weight watchers and diabetics. According to a 2004 study led by University of Vienna associate professor Dr Berhhard Ludvik and published in the journal Diabetes Care, type 2 diabetic patients treated with sweet potato saw significant decreases in fasting blood glucose levels and overall improvement in glucose control. Sweet potato when eaten with the skin has more fiber than oatmeal.

Cooking methods also affect the glycemic index of a sweet potato. For diabetics, certain cooking methods are more conducive to managing blood sugar levels. Boiled or mashed sweet potatoes, for instance, are not recommended as they are digested faster, thus increasing their glycemic index and possibly causing blood sugar levels to spike. Similar to fibre, fat will slow the rate of digestion and therefore maintain the low glycemic index, so a cooking method for sweet potatoes that is good for diabetics is sautéing in oil or roasting with the skins on. Sweet potato comes in varieties with skin and flesh color that range from white to yellow, orange, and deep purple.

According to the American Diabetes Association, apart from high fibre, sweet potato has antioxidant nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, and other micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamin B, which all help in good diabetes management and prevention of diabetes complications such as heart attacks and stroke.

Orange-fleshed sweet potato is an important source of beta-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A. Just 125g of fresh sweet potato from orange-fleshed varieties contain enough beta-carotene to provide the daily pro-vitamin A needs of a preschooler. One medium (100 gms) sweet potato, baked with the skin, has about four times the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A and almost half the recommendation for Vitamin C. Nutrients in sweet potato are also useful for people with obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and promotion of good health in general. A 2011 animal study conducted at School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Zhejiang University City College, China, reported that purple sweet potato flavonoids can decrease the blood glucose and lipids levels.

Staple food source for many ancient populations, sweet potato has also been found to have special cancer preventing properties, which are present in the purple-fleshed sweet potato. Anthocyanins, which give the purple colour to sweet potatoes are powerful bioavailable antioxidants, which are utilized efficiently by the body. Other nutrients, which possess anti-cancer properties of sweet potato include high amounts of vitamin A, which contribute the orange colour to the orange-fleshed sweet potato.

Overall, sweet potatoes are a healthy source of carbohydrates. Remember to watch your portions and substitute these for other carbohydrates and don’t go overboard!

Going “vegetarian” has been a hot topic for years now, and experts continue to debate whether it is better for your skin, weight and overall health, among other things. Many vegetarians (at least most of the ones I know) love having a plethora of reasons to convince omnivores to give up meat and move into their world of eco-friendly eating. And thanks to the results of a new study, here’s yet another one veggie-only lovers can use to back up their case.

Scientists from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C. studied 74 people with type 2 diabetes who were randomly prescribed either a low-calorie, vegetarian diet (the only animal product allowed was low-fat yogurt; one serving a day) or a standard anti-diabetic diet.

To determine the participants’ weight-loss potential, their diets were limited to 500 calories a day less than they would need to maintain their weight. The results, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, showed that after six months, those who had followed the vegetarian diet lost nearly 14 pounds compared to those on the traditional diet, who only dropped 7 pounds.

The researchers also analyzed the way fat was stored in the participants’ thighs to see how each diet affected it. Both diets resulted in a similar reduction in subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin), but more muscle fat was lost by those who ate a vegetarian diet.

Although it was a small study, the bottom line reveals surprising stats: Going “vegetarian” is twice as effective as eating a carnivorous diet when it comes to losing weight. Plus, research also uncovered that vegetarians reduce their muscle fat more effectively as well, and therefore boost their metabolism, too.

Dr. Hana Kahleová, lead author of the study, says, “This finding is important for people who are trying to lose weight, including those suffering from metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes. But it is also relevant to anyone who takes their weight management seriously and wants to stay lean and healthy.”

Coffee fans don’t need another reason to keep drinking java on the regular (guilty as charged), but those who tend to stay away from it because of health scares do—and the reason to switch might finally be here. A new book, The Coffee Lover’s Diet: Change Your Coffee, Change Your Life written by Bob Arnot, MD, says that drinking a cup of joe (or three) a day doesn’t only carry eye-opening benefits in the morning, but it can also aid in your diet and weight-loss goals, too.

On a recent Good Morning America(GMA) segment, Dr. Arnot explained how coffee is a dieter’s secret weapon, as it works to jumpstart weight loss, and recommends adding several cups of coffee to a balanced, low-calorie diet. “It’s going to increase your metabolism a little bit,” he says of the coffee consumption, explaining that you’ll burn around a hundred calories from the caffeine, and that it also improves the intensity that you can exercise at. Another benefit Dr. Arnot says you can expect when drinking more java: a mood boost. “You’re just going to feel great when you’re losing weight.” But, before you think that a sugar-loaded coffee Frappuccino will do the trick here, Dr. Arnot is talking about black coffee—no cream or sugar allowed.

However, this “diet” is not right for everyone, as Dr. Arnot says that you should absolutely be aware of your caffeine levels and what you can tolerate. Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC’s senior medical contributor, echoes this point, explaining that if you’re not careful, coffee can raise your heart rate or blood pressure, and lead to dehydration, tremors and insomnia in some drinkers. So, if drinking coffee makes you stressed, anxious or boosts your heart rate too much, switch to decaf—which Dr. Ashton says isn’t actually free of caffeine (it contains 0-7 milligrams per serving) or stop drinking it entirely.

If your body is comfortable with caffeine consumption and there are results that have proven more coffee paired with a balanced diet can lead to weight loss, what’s the harm in trying it out for yourself? As Dr. Ashton says, “bring it on!” For more information, you can watch the entire GMA segment here.

Charlize Theron is no stranger to body transformations—the Oscar-winning actress completely altered her appearance for 2003’s Monster. Wearing prosthetic teeth and gaining 40 pounds, the actress went from beautiful Hollywood ingénue to a worn-down, unattractive serial killer. Now, 15 years later, the 41-year-old actress and producer says transforming her body for a role was not so easy this time around. In an interview with Variety, the star gets real about the challenges of putting on weight for a film (the upcoming Tully) and how it wasn’t as easy as it was in her 20s to get back into shape.

For her new action film Atomic Blonde, the actress underwent an intense training regimen to portray a fearless, tough-as-nails international spy. Shifting gears completely for Tully, Theron gained 35 pounds to realistically portray the mother of three children. The star says that major changes to her diet, including an increase in sugar intake, along with a struggle to lose weight, put her in a major panic and led to a bout with depression.

“It was brutal in every sense,” says Theron. “This time around, I really felt it in my health. The sugar put me in a massive depression. I was sick. I couldn’t lose the weight. I called my doctor and I said, ‘I think I’m dying!’ And he’s like, ‘No, you’re 41. Calm down.’”

During training for Atomic Blonde, the actress suffered more physical setbacks. In addition to twisting her knee and bruising her ribs, she also cracked two teeth from clenching her jaw hard while fighting. “It happened the first month of training,” Theron says. “I had severe tooth pain, which I never had in my entire life.” At first, she thought the pain was from a cavity, but right before filming started her dentist recommended she have emergency dental surgery.

Although it was painful, the action star didn’t let the physical setbacks hold her back from kicking butt on set. “Having to cut one of the teeth out and root canals,” Theron says. “It was tough. You want to be in your best fighting shape, and it’s hard. I had the removal and I had to put a donor bone in there to heal until I came back, and then I had another surgery to put a metal screw in there.”

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice which believes that diseases occur when the natural flow of energy in our body is disrupted. In order to improve the body’s functions and promote self-healing, certain acupoints are stimulated with the help of thin needles inserted into your skin. In general, acupuncture has been treated as an alternate form of medicine and helps to relieve pain, indigestion, stress and sleep problems

. A new study, conducted by researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University, shows that acupuncture may also help in weight loss by stimulate appetite-suppressing hormones.

The study indicates that acupuncture can stimulate the production of the hormones such as serotonin and beta-endorphins that are known to suppress your appetite

, control your mood and increase the breakdown of fat. According to the researchers, 16 sessions of acupuncture are enough to help you lose weight.

For the study, researchers asked 72 overweight people to take part in an eight-week trail. The participants were divided into two groups – the ‘real acupuncture group’ and the ‘sham acupuncture group’. Each participant had to undergo a total of 16 sessions of acupunture that took place over a period of 8 weeks. During these sessions, the therapists focused on the acupoints of the abdomen and lower limbs. Researchers believe by stimulating these points, you can restore the correct flow of energy in the intestines, eliminate excess phlegm

and help in transform body fluid.

Acupuncture can help stimulate appetite suppressing hormones

After the treatment, it was noted that participants from the ‘real acupuncture group’ lost an average of five pounds (2.47kg) in comparison to those from the ‘sham group’ who lost an average of just over one pound (0.54kg). This study shows preliminary evidence and more research is required along with clinical trials to prove that acupuncture can be used a therapeutic tool to counter obesity.

While we’ll have to wait for the evidence to solidify, what we already know is that certain foods can also act as appetite suppressants and become a great part of your weight loss diet. According to Weight Management Expert, Dr. Gargi Sharma, “Foods like apples, walnuts, oatmeal, egg, quinoa and seeds like flaxseeds and chia seeds are great natural appetite suppressants. The idea is to get more fiber rich foods in your diet as they keep you full for longer along with those that are nutrient dense (like those rich in natural fats, oils and proteins) as they can help in promoting satiety and thus, help in curbing cravings or overeating.”

Do you wonder, why your weight fluctuates, even though you feel super light? Please remember when you see your weight very rapidly changing, it’s certainly not the fat that is melting or suddenly coming back. What you drink and eat each day impacts your weight like your hormones, your work out , underactive thyroid,carb tolerance, stress , elevated cortisol, erratic sleep, medication, too much salt intake and dehydration – each of these factors affect the number you see on the scale. Though the weighing scale can be a quick check, however, it should not be the only way. The scale might just not budge, yet your body might be responding very well to healthy dietary changes by toning and building muscles.

Let’s look at a few factors that affect the number on the scale –

1. The Truth About H2O

The hourly changes you see in your weight are due to how much water you’ve got in your body. Everything you eat or drink impacts how much water you retain. Example; salt and carbohydrate both cause water retention. So now if you have had a Chinese meal like noodles and veggies or chicken in black bean sauce, you know what to expect the next day.

Water retention is a tricky affair

2. Hormones (Especially in Women)

Women are more sensitive to weight fluctuations that sometimes gets very frustrating. 90% of the women feel bloated and puffed a week before there period, and they can gain up to a kg during this time. Once mensuration starts the water weight drops. Hence don’t panic and remain calm, this is a natural process of the body and is temporary. Though you must avoid too much salt and exercise well to stimulate blood flow that helps lymphatic drainage. Studies have shown that magnesium and Vitamin B6 help your body manage fluid retention. Include pumpkin seeds, lentils, almonds, cashews, spinach, bananas and dark chocolate. Magnesium is also great for bone health, and utilization of calcium.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for women’s health

3. Alcohol and Water Retention

Excess alcohol leads to suppression of the anti- diuretic hormone. Hence sodium is not flushed out of effectively by the kidneys, leading to alcohol water retention and sodium imbalance in the body. Reduce consumption of alcohol, and consume natural diuretic like cucumber juice, watermelon, coconut water, mint &coriander. Reduce intake of salt and if you have to drink alcohol, then choose lower alcohol beverages like beer that infact act as diuretics.

Excess alcohol consumption can harm your health in multiple ways

4. Strength Training

Now you might be wondering, why intense strength training is showing weight gain on your scale. Resistance training, involves microscopic wear and tear of your muscle, the body then rebuilds, dense and larger muscle tissue this is called hypertrophy. This process is vital for toned and strong muscles, however the muscle tears lead to fluid retention which is a healing process and will fade off.

Weight training is good for your muscles as well as the bones

5. Dehydration

This is the most common cause of weight fluctuations. A dehydrated body, holds on to the water reserves, causing fluid retention in the process to balance. Drink lots of water, especially if you sweat and during workouts. Also as we age, our thirst sensations reduce, and not just that, certain medications like drugs for cardiac conditions and blood pressure make you urinate more, hence drinking enough water is vital to avoid any serious complications.

Hydration is extremely vital

So next time if you see your scale, behaving silly, then look out for these reasons and address them. The best idea is to weigh yourself, once a week at the same time. Stay motivated and find other ways to measure yourself like taking measurements of your arms, thighs, waist to get a better understanding of your body.